What is Cellulite? Cellulite, known medically as gynoid lipodystrophy, is considered a localized metabolic disorder of the subcutaneous layer of skin, the dermis, and its small blood vessels. Over years, these vessels become compressed, resulting in inflammation, poor lymph drainage, proliferation of fibrous tissue, tissue damage, unevenness of the thickness of the skin, and the protrusion (herniation) of fat through layers of the skin.